Cooking up Smiles..Across the Miles

Category Archives: vegetarian

Hello everyone and a big thanks for still following me. My last post, SELRES_be1d1d0d-bb5f-40be-8ddb-031cfb02c5ceCarrot CakeSELRES_be1d1d0d-bb5f-40be-8ddb-031cfb02c5ce, is more than one year old now and so is my younger daughter. Life has been so busy that food blogging has taken a back seat for now. My girls make me so crazy but I wouldn’t want it any other way. The happiness kids bring to your life is above anything else and makes it all worth it. I do hope to get back to blogging, just don’t know when that will happen though.

I wasn’t planning on writing this post, which explain why I only have this lousy picture of the dish. I had made this Paneer curry at my elder daughter’s 5th birthday party and when I shared a video of it on my social media, I was flooded with recipe requests and finally decide to take out some time to pen it down. So thank you everyone who pushed me to share the recipe, this post is specially for you all.

Paneer Pepper Masala (Yeah I made up that name) is loosely inspired from the famous Paneer Tikka Masala recipe and is a much quicker version but an absolutely delicious one. Without wasting any more time, lets head on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Onion – 2 medium, chopped

Tomatoes – 3 medium, chopped

Garlic – 4 cloves, chopped

Ginger – 1/2 inch stick, chopped

Oil – 4 tbsp., divided

Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Kasuri Methi Powder – 1 tsp

Heavy Cream – 1/4 cup

Paneer or Indian Cottage Cheese – 500 Gms, cut into cubes

Onion – 1 medium, Halved and layers removed

Green and red pepper – 1 each, cut into cubes

Cilantro Leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add in the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté it for a few minutes. Add in the chopped 2 onions and cook for 7 – 8 minutes till they are nicely cooked.

Now add in the chopped tomatoes and let the whole thing cook for another 5 minutes till the tomatoes are soft and mushy and start leaving oil. Turn off the gas and take it out on a plate to cool down. Finally blend this onion tomato paste in a blender and make a smooth paste and keep aside. You can strain this masala too if you like and have time.

Now in the same pan, add 1 tbsp. oil and add in the cubed layers of onion and sauté it on medium high flame. We are looking to give the onions a nice crisp. Now add in the cubed green and red peppers and do the same. Once, all three are nicely charred, take them off the flame and set aside.

Add the last 1 tsp of oil in the same pan, and sauté the cubed paneer cubes for a few minutes. You can skip this step and just use the paneer as is in the curry.

Now its time to assemble and bring together the final dish. In the same pan, add the onion tomato masala paste we had prepared earlier, and let it cook for a few minutes. Add in all the spices – salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and chilly powder. Mix everything well and cook for another minute or so.

Add in the sautéed onion, peppers cubes and paneer to this gravy. Cover and cook everything for 2 -3 minutes on medium flame.

Finally do a taste test to make sure all the spices are as per your preference. You can also add 1 tsp sugar to balance out the spices if you like.

As a last step add the kasuri methi powder and heavy cream. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and turn off the gas.

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve with your choice of Naan or Rice.

You can also use extra firm tofu instead of paneer. Just make sure to keep it pressed down under a heavy object for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

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So that’s how I made this paneer dish. Do let me know if you give this a try.

Thanks again for sticking by and reading my blog. I really appreciate that.

For today’s post I am sharing another dhokla recipe. This one is made with maize flour or Makai ka atta and also has some corn kernels to bite into. A pure healthy delight I must say. If you are like me and have lots of Makai ka atta left from those Maki ki roti you thought but never made, here is something you can use it for. And trust me, the dhokla is so good, you won’t regret buying some maize flour especially to make this.

Lightly grease a 7 inch pan or thali and bring water to boil for steaming.

Once you are ready to steam, add the eno fruit salt to the dhokla mix and mix gently.

Steam the dhokla on medium flame for at least 20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center of the dhokla comes out clean.

While the dhokla is steaming, we can make the tempering. Heat oil in a small pan and add in the mustard seeds. Once they crackle add the curry leaves, followed by sesame seeds. Cook everything for a few minutes and turn off the gas.

Once the dhokla has cooled down to room temperature, pour this tempering over dhokla and garnish with cilantro leaves and coconut.

Cut the dhokla into desired pieces and serve with your favorite chutney.

So that is how I made this delightful dhokla. Do let me know if you try it out.

Are you looking for a quick dinner that is ready in less than 20 minutes. True to its name, this pasta cooks all in one pot with its sauce and is ready to eat in half the time you will take to make it the traditional way. …

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet and add the minced garlic and onion. Cook them for a few minutes.
2. Add in the red pepper and spinach and cook for a minute.
3. Next add in the milk, water, salt and pepper and let it just come to a simmer.
4. Break the pasta and add it to the boiling milk mixture. Mix gently and let the pasta cook for about 10 minutes at medium low, stirring every few minutes.
5. Cook just until the pasta is tender and switch off the flame.
6. Finally add in the chilly flakes and Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Hello everyone. Its that time of the month where I do my monthly column for the B’khush Magazine. It is an online magazine, catering to the South Asian population around the world. They write about varied topics ranging from fitness, beauty, parenting, DIY projects, recipes etc. Do check out their website – B’Khush – Upload Thoughts, Download Happiness.

My column in the magazine is called “Healthy Bites“. Through this column, I like to share such recipes that provide the nutrition, taste great and most of all you can enjoy them guilt free. Follow me here to make some easy and healthy dishes that you wouldn’t feel guilty about when you take that second serving.

Today I am bringing another healthy appetizer for you, just skip the cheese if you like, it will still be as delicious. These stuffed sweet peppers look very pretty and is sure to please all your guests.

A big hello to all of you. I am so excited the spring will be here soon. With the New England weather, you can’t really predict much but at least with all the Easter stuff floating around, it makes both me and my daughter very happy. She is looking forward to all the egg hunting and I can’t wait for some warmer days and outdoor activities. We have been lucky enough to have a reasonably warm winter this year and are really looking forward to a gorgeous summer ahead. How is the weather like at your end..?

Healthy is my favorite kind of food. I do enjoy eating all the junk and the not so good for you desserts but they make me so guilty afterwards. Dang. So not worth it. 😦 I am therefore always on the lookout for healthy recipes – oats, quinoa, kale, chia seeds are some of the most frequent ingredients used in my kitchen. I have been cooking with oats a lot off lately and this dhokla or steamed cake recipe was as healthy as it was delicious. 🙂

In a bowl mix together the oats flour, sooji, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, sugar, ginger and green chilly paste. Add water as needed to make a smooth batter of pouring consistency. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

Now mix in the spinach and give it a good stir. Add some more water if needed. The batter should be of pouring consistency but not too thick or thin.

Get your steamer ready or boil some water in a large pot or cooker. If steaming in the cooker, do not use the whistle.

Grease a 7 inch dish and keep it ready.

Once the water comes to boil, add in the eno fruit salt to the dhokla mix and give it a gentle mix, making sure not to over mix.

Pour the dhokla mix in the greased dish and let it steam on medium flame for at least 15 – 20 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the dhokla is steaming, we can prepare our tempering.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter. Throw in the curry leaves and once they crackle, switch off the flame.

Once the dhokla is ready, pour this tempering over it and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Hello..How is everyone doing..?? Would you believe me if I told you that this super crispy and delicious Dosa is made with Quinoa and Lentils. Yeah its like a power house of protein. I was impressed when I saw this recipe at Sonal’s blog. She always makes delicious and healthy stuff and everything I have tried from her blog has been a success. I knew I had to try this. And I am so glad I made them cause they turned out so good. You do not miss the rice at all and I love how healthy they are. Thank you so much Sonal for such a fabulous recipe. I will surely be making this again. 🙂

I have followed her recipe to the T without any changes and they came out just perfect. Hop on to her blog right now, if you want to make these super healthy and yummy dosas. Here is the recipe link – Quinoa and Dal Dosa.

If you or your kids love eating pizza, but feel guilty about all the extra calories, this post is for you. Imagine eating pizza and getting a full serving of a vegetable, it doesn’t get better than this. When I came across this recipe, I was amused. How in the world can we make a pizza from a cauliflower. Surprising, but deliciously true. It satisfies your craving for a pizza, for that cheesy goodness and is super healthy. Highly recommended. 🙂